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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · staff · deal · pass · content · leaves · temple · jam

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. deal — to handle
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pass — a permit
  12. drill — army training
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. drill — a practice
  19. content — happy
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com